Watch: IDF Paratroopers Participate in US-led Exercise in Europe
For the first time, Israel participated in the Swift Response military exercise alongside the United States and European allies. During the exercise, IDF Paratroopers attached to US European Command's 173rd Brigade Combat Team landed on Polish soil and simulated an airfield takeover
IsraelDefense
| 14/06/2018
Photo: IDF
IDF paratroopers participated for the first time in the US-led Swift Response military exercise which took place this month in Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Organized by the US European Command (EUCOM), Swift Response featured 2,300 troops from seven nations, including Israel, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The exercise included, among other things, crisis-response training, an airfield takeover simulation, airborne exercises, joint forcible entry personnel and equipment drops, air assault operations, noncombatant evacuation operations.
A group of 40 Israeli paratroopers made their preparations last Monday at Germany’s Rammstein air base, the main headquarters of United States air forces in Europe. The IDF platoon was attached to US European Command's 173rd Brigade Combat Team during the drill.
“We're taking off from here in Germany, and we're going to parachute over Polish soil on the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel, which is a great privilege and honor for us,” Maj. Amir Pori from the Paratroopers Brigade said ahead of the large-scale international exercise which concluded on Wednesday. The exercise “points to the strong relationship and cooperation between the IDF and the US military,” he added.
Once landing, the paratroopers simulated the capture of an enemy air base, in this case represented by Mirosławiec Airfield in western Poland, as well as surrounding bunkers and areas.
“All of these allied nations are working together so we can exchange SOPs (Standards and Practices) and the way we do stuff, our tactics, and the more we incorporate that it's going to be better off for when we have to face a threat,” said Maj. Matthew Barton of the US Army’s 173rd Brigade Combat Team.
Maj. Puri noted that the unfamiliar surroundings were a chance to train in muddier, swampier terrain, as well as much more dense forests than are normally common in the Middle East.
“The most skilled of paratroopers participated, and this exercise was both challenging and productive for both the combat soldiers and their commanders,” he said.
“We have concluded a very intense and fascinating exercise with the US army and other countries as well,” said Maj. Ido, an Operations Officer in the Paratroopers Brigade who participated in the drills. “The cooperation was focused on specific techniques and drills. This is the first time that Israeli troops are taking part in an exercise of this scale. We actually flew a platoon of 40 officers and soldiers from our reconnaissance battalion that took part in the jump and drills.”
“Our main focus was to learn and observe, to focus on the collaboration part of it and the tactics,” continued Maj. Ido. “We have a lot of experience, but the US army and other armies brought their own experiences and shared their knowledge.”
This was the first US European Command exercise ever to feature Israeli forces outside of Israel. The trend is set to continue as the Israeli Navy will take part in the multi-national RIMPAC exercise in Hawaii later this month, also for the first time.
[Sources: IDF website, i24News]
Photos: IDF
For the first time, Israel participated in the Swift Response military exercise alongside the United States and European allies. During the exercise, IDF Paratroopers attached to US European Command's 173rd Brigade Combat Team landed on Polish soil and simulated an airfield takeover
Photo: IDF
IDF paratroopers participated for the first time in the US-led Swift Response military exercise which took place this month in Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Organized by the US European Command (EUCOM), Swift Response featured 2,300 troops from seven nations, including Israel, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The exercise included, among other things, crisis-response training, an airfield takeover simulation, airborne exercises, joint forcible entry personnel and equipment drops, air assault operations, noncombatant evacuation operations.
A group of 40 Israeli paratroopers made their preparations last Monday at Germany’s Rammstein air base, the main headquarters of United States air forces in Europe. The IDF platoon was attached to US European Command's 173rd Brigade Combat Team during the drill.
“We're taking off from here in Germany, and we're going to parachute over Polish soil on the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel, which is a great privilege and honor for us,” Maj. Amir Pori from the Paratroopers Brigade said ahead of the large-scale international exercise which concluded on Wednesday. The exercise “points to the strong relationship and cooperation between the IDF and the US military,” he added.
Once landing, the paratroopers simulated the capture of an enemy air base, in this case represented by Mirosławiec Airfield in western Poland, as well as surrounding bunkers and areas.
“All of these allied nations are working together so we can exchange SOPs (Standards and Practices) and the way we do stuff, our tactics, and the more we incorporate that it's going to be better off for when we have to face a threat,” said Maj. Matthew Barton of the US Army’s 173rd Brigade Combat Team.
Maj. Puri noted that the unfamiliar surroundings were a chance to train in muddier, swampier terrain, as well as much more dense forests than are normally common in the Middle East.
“The most skilled of paratroopers participated, and this exercise was both challenging and productive for both the combat soldiers and their commanders,” he said.
“We have concluded a very intense and fascinating exercise with the US army and other countries as well,” said Maj. Ido, an Operations Officer in the Paratroopers Brigade who participated in the drills. “The cooperation was focused on specific techniques and drills. This is the first time that Israeli troops are taking part in an exercise of this scale. We actually flew a platoon of 40 officers and soldiers from our reconnaissance battalion that took part in the jump and drills.”
“Our main focus was to learn and observe, to focus on the collaboration part of it and the tactics,” continued Maj. Ido. “We have a lot of experience, but the US army and other armies brought their own experiences and shared their knowledge.”
This was the first US European Command exercise ever to feature Israeli forces outside of Israel. The trend is set to continue as the Israeli Navy will take part in the multi-national RIMPAC exercise in Hawaii later this month, also for the first time.
[Sources: IDF website, i24News]
Photos: IDF
